Happy Birthday, Grace Kelly! Here’s How to Travel Like the Glamorous Princess

When she wasn’t living in the Prince’s Palace, the Philadelphia-reared Grace Kelly spent time traversing Europe and frequenting only the most lavish, fit-for-royalty hotels. After leaving Hollywood behind and becoming the crowned princess of Monaco, her holidays and professional duties beckoned her to places like San Sebastian, Seville, Venice, and Mallorca. The glamorous icon often traveled with her husband, Prince Rainier, and friends like Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Kennedy, but she also adored her solace. As Kelly once said, “I love walking in the woods, on the trails, along the beaches. I love being a part of nature. I love walking alone. It is therapy. One needs to be alone, to recharge one’s batteries.” We’d have to imagine that today, when she would have turned 87 years old, she’d still treasure her time alone and spent wandering about the beaches and trails abroad in Europe—but also those extravagant holidays with her prince and Hollywood pals.

In honor of her birthday, here’s how to travel as the Princess would have, in as much style as possible.

Castillo Hotel Son VidaGrace Kelly and her husband, Prince Rainier, hosted the glamorous opening party at this stunning hotel in Mallorca in 1961. Friends like Aristotle Onassis, Maria Callas, Montgomery Clift, and Elsa Martinelli, among many others, joined them on their island jaunt. Today, the five-star hotel with 164 rooms and suites is just as spectacular as it was in the heyday of the princess.

Hotel Alfonso XIIIThis ornately decorated hotel in Seville was one of Grace Kelly’s favorite escapes. When she wasn’t there on holiday, she was staying at the Alfonso XIII during the Feria de Abril festival, celebrating with the locals. The centrally located hotel has been in business since 1929 and today offers several fine-dining options as well as a gorgeous pool area.

Hotel DanieliWhenever Grace Kelly traveled to Venice, she stayed at the sumptuously decorated Hotel Danieli on the Riva degli Schiavoni, near the famous Piazza San Marco. In fact, there’s a “Grace Kelly Suite” at the hotel and the concierge will be more than happy to divulge her favorite restaurants, shops, and museums around the city.

Hotel Maria Cristina The Hotel Maria Cristina is where Princess Grace would retire while attending the San Sebastian International Film Festival. Open since 1912, this grand, 136-room hotel once attracted some of Ms. Kelly’s peers like Elizabeth Taylor and Bette Davis. There is a cooking school on the premise, as well as a Basque-inspired restaurant called Easo.

**The InterContinental Carlton Cannes**Formerly known as the Hotel Carlton, this establishment was a central location for the filming of Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief, starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. This was also the place where Kelly stayed during the 1955 Cannes Film Festival, and arranged to have a meeting and photo shoot with Prince Rainier at the Royal Palace of Monaco. They married the following year.